


Hope, Meet Courage

by AsagiStilinski



Series: Pridecember 2019 [26]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Event (CW DC TV Universe), Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, DC Comics References, M/M, Superheroes, Yu-Gi-Oh! Pridecember 2019, alternate universe- dc comics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:07:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22489147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsagiStilinski/pseuds/AsagiStilinski
Summary: "If anyone is the Paragon Of Courage, it's you, plus you saved Marik and Joey's asses last year and that's got to count for something,"Seto snorted, lips ticking up again as he glanced over his shoulder at the other man"Great pep talk, from the Paragon Of Hope,"Or: Supergirl!Atem and Batwoman!Seto are thrust into the heart of saving the multiverse.... again
Relationships: Atem/Kaiba Seto
Series: Pridecember 2019 [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1560421
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Hope, Meet Courage

**Author's Note:**

> Day 26 of Pridecember- "Universe", because you can't come to me in the year of 2019, suggest "universe", and not expect me to do Crisis
> 
> I may also be a rabid Kanvers fan
> 
> Also, as Seto and Atem are technically Batman and Superman in this verse, I headcanon they have female cousins, one who disappeared, and one who lives in Metropolis
> 
> *cough*

Seto Kaiba did not get anxiety

He did not get nervous

He was a 143 pound wall of strength and power

And he did not feel _timid_ around _anyone_

....

So why did he feel like a caged animal, backed into a corner, surrounded by other people in super suits, strangers that he had never met before, none of them wore masks except for Seto, and right in front of them-

"Atem, where are we and what the hell just happened?"

Finally, thank whatever god was out there, a familiar face

Atem's face

They may have come from different universes, but Atem was one of the only people Seto trusted or cared for at all, and heavens knew he was the only other superhero Seto had any affection towards at all...

"Just relax, we're all on the same side here," Atem said softly, taking a step closer

"Are we?" Seto snipped, eyes narrowing

"Because I don't know any of these people,"

"But you know me," Atem reasoned with a gentle smile, taking another step, his stance cautious but open, _trusting_

"And I trust everyone in here with my life, including you,"

Eyes darting around for a moment, the fact that he was the only one in a mask weighing heavily on him, the word _coward_ echoing through his head like a drum beat, he focused again on Atem, who looked as warm and gentle as always, before finally reaching up and very carefully, hesitantly, undoing the cowl on his head, pulling it off and finally revealing his face- willingly, for the first time since starting this gig- to the people around him

"Then I guess you can all just call me Kaiba," he said simply, setting his cowl under his arm and stepping closer to Atem, looking down at him and his adorably warm expression tensely

"And I hope to god you know what you're doing,"

~+~

So, evidently, the multiverse was in danger

Seto was honestly still trying to come to terms with the fact that there even _was_ a multiverse at all

"You look like you could use one of these,"

Glancing up, Seto stared at the bottle of beer he was being handed before gently pushing it back, silently wishing for a cup of coffee

"I don't drink," he said simply

"Ah..." Atem hissed quietly, settling carefully on the ground next to his freind and setting the bottles aside

"Do these things even work on you?"

He was skeptical, Atem was literally Superman, he was from another planet, he was fucking bulletproof, somehow the idea of a few beers nocking him down was one that Seto wasn't buying

"No, but I always heard it was bad etiquette to let freinds drink alone,"

For reasons that he couldn't quite understand, Seto chuckled at that, shaking his head and pressing a gloved hand into his hair, gliding his fingers through it in frustration

"I can't say I can speak to that,"

Seto's lips had never touched alcohol, after seeing what the swill did to Gozaburo.... he never intended them to

"Well, we'll have to share some coffee then, sometime," Atem reasoned with a slight smile of his own, but it wasn't warm and sweet like it usually was, it wasn't hopefull, it was weary and forced

Seto understood

"How are you holding up?"

Instinctively, Seto just wanted to snap at him, but.... god, Atem was just so _warm_ , so bright, no wonder his power was fueled by the yellow sun, he practically was the sun himself...

Seto had never been able to show his uglier side to Atem, he doubted he ever would be

"Considering? I'm _perfect_ ," he said instead, biting the tip of his tongue

"I just don't understand how I'm a paragon... I just started this vigilante shit, I'm barely off the ground, and now I'm not just supposed to save _one_ Earth, I'm supposed to save all of them? I.... haven't even saved Gotham yet,"

He never even _wanted_ to save Gotham, he just wanted to get his brother back, his precious little brother....

He couldn't even do that, but he was supposed to save the multiverse?

Sure, he trusted that decision

"You're not alone," Atem promised softly, reaching down to gently squeeze his hand

"We're all here with you, Seto.... and, I've seen you in action," he added with a slight laugh

"If anyone is the Paragon Of Courage, it's you, plus you saved Marik and Joey's asses last year and that's got to count for something,"

Seto snorted, lips ticking up again as he glanced over his shoulder at the other man

"Great pep talk, from the Paragon Of Hope,"

"I'm not feeling very hopefull right now, I have to admit,"

That... was unexpected

True, Seto hadn't met Atem very often, they'd only worked together once prior to this rediculous crisis, but he had always seemed like someone who could craft a silver lining out of absolutely nothing, like Rumplestiltskin, weaving the wilted and mangled straw of their situations into soft golden silk

It didn't make any sense to Seto that he could be so down all of a sudden

"That's a little contradictory to your title, how are _you_ of all people anxious? Have you never dealt with the universe ending before?"

He was being sarcastic (mostly) wich he hoped came across appropriately

"Actually I have, once or twice," Atem replied with a slight smirk

"And this is what? Worse?"

"Well, theoretically yes, but... it's more my personal life I suppose.... I think I've lost an incredibly close freind of mine, I had... not told him of my identity for a long time and when it finally came out... I should have done more, tried harder, I never should have lied to him,"

"What, about your identity? That's rediculous, you have to protect your identity if you want to protect the people around you, not to mention yourself,"

Atem looked down, shrugging a little

"It's.... more complicated than that,"

Seto was willing to bet it wasn't

"I guess it's just been a long few weeks, it seems like an endless stream of bad news,"

Yeah.... Seto could relate to that

He really wasn't much of an optimist himself, he wasn't very hopefull, he liked to call himself a realist but he was probably more likely a pessimist

But....

The Paragon Of Hope couldn't very well do his job if he felt hopeless

Seto needed to be brave enough to lift up the only person in this place he had an ounce of fondness for

Reaching out with a bit of hesitance, he grabbed Atem's hand, giving it a squeeze as he turned his attention towards him

"We're going to get through this, you're fucking _Superman_ , there's nothing you can't do, and when it's all over... I guess I'll take a trip to National City and see if I can't put a little fear of the bat into your enemies,"

Atem chuckled, his expression brightening for the first time since this entire situation began

"Well I don't think my enemies need _fear_ , but I do look forward to seeing you in my city, perhaps after I'll visit Gotham, I hear you're having problems with rabbits?"

"Nothing I can't handle," Seto replied with a shrug, pausing a little as his lips ticked upwards again

"But if you wanted to stop by... I'm sure there are plenty of people in Arkham who would feel intimidated by a guy who can shoot lasers out of his eyes and lift a car,"

"More like a building," Atem teased playfully

"You just always have to one-up me don't you?"

"I _am_ the man of steel,"

"Yeah," Seto snorted, reluctantly rising to his feet and holding his hand out to Atem

"And the Paragon Of Courage,"

~+~

It had been hard enough for Seto to come to grips with the fact that there was a multi-verse in the first place, that instead of one single universe that they all shared, there were multiple- infinite- universes that everyone was spread across instead

It had been hard to accept, but he had accepted it

And now it was gone

No more living in a world where aliens didn't exist or where the world didn't nearly end every few months

No more living in his own tiny pocket of the multiverse where superpowers were few and far between

No more having to cross an entire universe just to see Atem, now he could see him whenever he wanted and all it would take was a quick drive or private jet ride from Gotham to National City

Somehow, they were actually neighbors now

Well, he supposed there was atleast _one_ good thing about this "universe almost ending" thing

Rubbing his eyes tiredly as he stared down at his papperwork, he wondered distantly if he could find an excuse to sneak down to the bat cave and practice with some of the gadgets or check out the monitors...

....

Yeesh.... it would be a wile before he could use _that_ word without feeling freaked out....

Just as he was getting ready to call the desk work done for the day and make a run for the cave, he heard a light tapping on his window

Ah... this was definitely something he was going to have to get used to...

Turning, he slid the window open, eyebrows raised as Atem flew inside, perching himself on the edge of Seto's desk

"You know one of these days your hovering around my windows is going to catch someone's attention,"

"Maybe, but it's not going to stop me from doing it," Atem smirked

Seto rolled his eyes- but it wasn't meant to be taken seriously

"Are you ready for dinner?"

"Yes, but must you be so dramatic showing up here, suit and all?"

"Would you prefer me _out_ of the suit?" Atem hummed, eyebrows raising

"Always," Seto smirked back, reaching out to gently cup his boyfreind's face and give him a light kiss

To say that they had made the most of this "shared universe" thing was putting it mildly

"You'll have to buy me dinner first," Atem purred back, a smirk playing on his lips

Seto snorted, shutting his computer down quickly and heading over to the in-office elevator

"I don't think that's going to be a problem,"

They had saved the multiverse after all (...well sort of), somehow dating just didn't seem as intimidating in comparison


End file.
